US3674304A

US3674304A - Releasable automatic fastener for a truck stake and like

Info

Publication number: US3674304A
Application number: US211A
Authority: US
Inventors: Raymond W Swanson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-01-02
Filing date: 1970-01-02
Publication date: 1972-07-04
Anticipated expiration: 1989-07-04

Abstract

For a combination of a stake with an elongated exposed section and, as a pertinent member, a relatively shorter end section, and, as another pertinent member, a receptacle for said end section,-an automatic fastener for the stake end section in the receptacle which fastener requires a substantially instantaneous double and forceful action in two different directions for removing the automatically fastened stake from the receptacle and comprises a sidewise exposed edge in one of said two pertinent members, a sidewise protruding clutching means secured with the other of said two pertinent members for engaging against said edge when therebelow and pushed sidewise thereagainst, an outwardly resilient normally sidewise protruding compressible means secured with one of said two pertinent members for being resiliently compressed when within the receptacle for pushing said clutching means sidewise against said edge automatically when said end section is within said receptacle and the clutching means is below said edge while the compressible means remains substantially compressed, a means for removing the clutching means from the edge and, therewhile, the stake from the receptacle by farther compressing the compressible means with overcoming contra side pressure applied against the elongated exposed section of the stake and by therewhile pulling the latter from the receptacle.

Description

Unite Sttes atet Swanson [54] RELEASABLE AUTOMATIC FASTENER FOR A TRUCK STAKE AND LIKE [72] lnventor: Raymond W. Swanson, 14515 Cornishcrest Road, Whittier, Calif, 90604 [22] Filed: Jan. 2, 1970 [211 AppLNo; 211

52 us. C1 ..296/43,l05/382,256/l, V 287/20.5SL 51 1nt.Cl Beam/0s 581 Field of Search ..296/43;280/143, 147; 105/382,

105/390; 287/205 SL, 57 CT, DIG. 9; 256/1; 2/298, 296, 297, 709, 726

Primary ExaminerBenjamin Hersh Assistant Examiner-John A. Pekar July 4,1972

[57 ABSTRACT For a combination of a stake with an elongated exposed section and, as a pertinent member, a relatively shorter end section, and, as another pertinent member, a receptacle for said end section,an automatic fastener for the stake end section in the receptacle which fastener requires a substantially instantaneous double and forceful action in two different directions for removing the automatically fastened stake from the receptacle and comprises a sidewise exposed edge in one of said two pertinent members, a sidewise protruding clutching means secured with the other of said two pertinent members for engaging against said edge when therebelow and pushed sidewise thereagainst. an outwardly resilient normally sidewise protruding compressible means secured with one of said two pertinent members for being resiliently compressed when within the receptacle for pushing said clutching means sidewise against said edge automatically when said end section is within said receptacle and the clutching means is below said edge while the compressible means remains substantially compressed, a means for removing the clutching means from the edge and, therewhile, the stake from the receptacle by farther compressing the compressible means with overcoming contra side pressure applied against the elongated exposed section of the stake and by therewhile pulling the latter from the receptacle.

PATENTEUJUL 41972 3674304 SHEETZOF 3 I/v vewro/e RELEASABLE AUTOMATIC FASTENER FOR A TRUCK STAKE AND LIKE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to trucks and like, their respective stakes and stake receptacles, and more specifically to fasteners of the stakes in the stake receptacles.

2. Description of the Prior Arts There are prior art devices for locking, clamping, bolting and/or otherwise attempting to secure atruck stake in a stake receptacle against theft or accidental fall-out. Some of them require a key to unlock, which key can be easily misplaced or lost; others may need a screwdriver, a monkey-wrench or other likewise separate suitable tools to release or remove the locking elements. Some of them have their locking mechanisms exposed to open view for easier and faster operation by the truck attendants, and, while they do serve that purpose and do prevent accidental fall-out of the stake, they are at the same time a relatively easy prey for a common thief with a minimum of mechanical experience; likewise mechanisms in less accessible locations, such, for instance, as under the truck platform, handicap and delaythe truck attendants yet fail to provide a reasonable insurance against a determined thief once he locates the lock and can easily observe and understand the heretofore visibly apparent means of unlocking the same.

There are few basic characteristics common with all hereto fore known devices for locking the stake in the receptacle, i.e. once it is unlocked the stake may be pulled out or fall out from the receptacle any time thereafter, thus, if the attendant forgets to lock the stake the latter may fall out from the receptacle while the truck is moving over. a bumpy road, and a thief needs to be concerned first only with unlocking the heretofore locks as, once it is done, his conventional experience tells him that he can pull the stake out from the receptacle thereafter any time at leisure and/or convenience; all heretofore stake locking devices require a separate operation to lock the stake in the receptacle and two separated from each other operations for removing the stake locked in the receptacle,-first-- unlocking the stack, second-pulling it out any time thereafter, which is a double work for the truck attendant, and is a convenience for a thief; and all heretofore truck stake locking devices, by their very outside appearance, expose instantly what is required to have them unlocked or broken.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A first embodiment of the present invention might involve-for a combination of a truck stake, its end section, its exposed section and a stake receptacle with side walls and an exposed edge-a fastener securable with the end section of the stake and comprising a sidewise outwardly resilient compressible first means for pushing the end section of the stake against the side wall of the receptacle with the exposed edge when the end section of the stake is inserted into the receptacle while the first means is compressed against the opposite wall of the receptacle; and a stationary contra sidewise protruding second means for gripping against the exposed edge of the receptacle when brought there-below while being likewise pushed sidewise together with the end section of the stake by the first means; and a third means for releasing the fastener and removing the stake from the receptacle and responsive to a sidewise, the first-means-resiliency overcoming, push against the exposed section of the stake in the direction of the protrusion of the second means, and, therewhile, to a pull of the stake from the receptacle.

A second embodiment of this invention may provide, for instance, a notch in the side wall of the stakeend-section instead of the exposed edge in the receptacle, and the first means secured with an inner side wall of the receptacle instead of the stake-end-section and sidewise resilient inwardly instead of outwardly, and the second means for gripping against the notch secured to the opposite inner side wall of the receptacle.

A third embodiment of this invention may provide, for example, the notch and the second means as in the second embodiment while the first means secured as in the first embodiment.

In a fourth embodiment of this invention the exposed edge and thesecond means may be as in the first embodiment while the first means as in the second embodiment.

Either one of the above exemplified various embodiments would achieve the following objects of this invention without departure from the basic principles thereof as disclosed and thought herein.

The above are just few examples of many various modifications possible and obvious to anyone skilled in the art once the present basic disclosure and teaching; are revealed; and the exemplified four also should demonstrate that, in conceiving this invention, its reduction to practice was not, is not and should not be limited to a single embodiment thereof.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide improved fastener for a stake in a receptacle.

Another object of this invention is to provide such fastener which will fasten the stake in the receptacle automatically once the stake is inserted into the receptacle.

A further object of this invention is to provide such fastener with means for making it practically undetectable to an untrained eye when the stake-end-section is in the receptacle.

Still another object of this invention is to provide such fastener with inconspicuous means for unfastening thereof.

Another important object of this invention is to provide inconspicuous means for rendering separate operation of a mere unfastening of the fastener ineffective and insufficient for thereafter separate effort to remove the stake from the receptacle.

Consequently it is an object of this invention to provide a means for removing the automatically fastened stake from the receptacle requiring simultaneous application of two commonly entirely unrelated physical operations against an exposed section of the stake. with a method, a force and a direction unknown to an untrained person.

An important object of this invention is to make its reduction to practice simple and inexpensive to manufacture and substantially easy to operate but only for a person taught of its concealed features and the method, a direction and a force required for the operation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims. In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective side view of a truck stake comprising features of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective side view of a truck stake receptacle comprising an element for this invention.

FIG. 3 is aside cross-sectional view of the truck stake end section partly inserted into the truck stake receptacle with a feature of this invention engaged.

FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view of the truck stake end section fully inserted into the truck stake receptacle with two features of this invention engaged for automatic fastening of said end section with said receptacle.

FIG. 5 is a bottom plain view taken at 5-5 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a front side plain view of the stake lower section taken at 6-6 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a relatively enlarged perspective side and top view of a preferred resilient and compressible element for this invention.

FIG. 8 is a relatively enlarged perspective side and top view of a preferred gripping element for this invention, and of an upwardly protruding bolt secured to the top side of said gripping element. 1

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a truck-platform-section and a plain side view of the truck-stake-receptacle stationary secured in a provided therefore hole in the truck-platform, and a plain side view of the truck stake in said receptacle manually unfastened in the process for being pulled out from the receptacle.

FIG. 10 is sectionally plain and sectionally cross-sectional side view of the modified second embodiment of this inven tion.

FIG. 11 is sectionally plain and sectionally cross-sectional side view of the further modified third embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 12 is sectionally plain and sectionally cross-sectional side view of the still further modified fourth embodiment of this invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS For the purpose of promoting an understanding of the principles of this invention, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated device, and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

In reference to the drawings:

In FIG. 1 a truck stake 10 is made of metal and has indicated hollow sections 10A and 10B and side openings 1 1, 12 and 13 leading into the respective hollow sections. The hollow section 108 has a solid bottom 14 with an edge recess 15 facing opening 13 (FIGS. 1 and 6). Under and adjacent to the bottom 14 is placed a substantially square rubber-like pad 16 (FIGS. 1,6 and 7) with a portion 16A thereof normally protruding sidewise outwardly from the recess 15 and beyond the stake-end-section 17 (FIG. 1 The pad 16 has a relatively small hold 168 (FIG. 7) for a bolt passage therethrough. Under and adjacent to the pad 16 is placed a likewise substantially square but strong and rigid metal plate 18 (FIG. 1) with a relatively small portion 18A thereof slightly protruding sidewise outwardly beyond the stake 10 sidewall with the opening 12. Thus said protrusion of the plate 18 is in a direction opposite to the direction of the protrusion of the pad 16. The plate 18 (FIG. 8) has a bolt 19 welded thereto vertically and adapted to be inserted through the hole 168 in the pad 16 and through and beyond a corresponding hole in the bottom 14 (FIGS. 1,3,4 and 6) of stake 10 into the hollow section 108 thereof where it is tightened with a nut 20 to secure firmly the pad 16 and plate 18 in above described illustrated positions in relation to each other and the stake 10.

In FIG. 2 a metal stake-receptacle 21 has four side walls including wall 21A, has no top nor bottom whereby its edge 22 is exposed and may be used as an element in this invention as will be explained below. Receptacle 21 is of size shape and form adapted to receive the stake-end-section 17 with the stationary sidewise protruding portion 18A of plate 18 when the normally sidewise protruding portion 16A of the rubber-like (resilient and compressible) pad 16 is compressed into the recess 15 (FIGS. 1 and 6) as shown in FIG. 3.

Receptacle 21 may be stationary secured in a provided therefore hole in a truck loading platfonn 23 (FIG. 9) with any suitable means, for instance, if such platform is of metal the receptacle 21 may be welded thereto in said hole, or pressfitted into; if such platform is of wood, the receptacle 21 may be press-fitted into the platform hole, or further secured therein from coming out by, for example, a fish-hook-like acting springy thin bars, like bar 24 (FIGS. 2,3 and 9) having its lower half welded to side wall 21A of receptacle 21, and its upper half normally extending upwardly and resiliently sidewise and susceptible of being pressed flat against sidewall 21A when receptacle 21 is press-fitted into the hole of wooden platform 23 (FIG. 9) and retaining its sidewise resiliency against adjacent thereto wooden wall of the hole in the platform 23 for resisting a manual effort of pulling the receptacle 21 out of the hole in platform 23. The sidewise protruding thickness of bar 24 should not be a great obstacle in a hammer or power press-fitting of the receptacle 21 into a hole of wooden platform 23, but should suffice to cause adequate resistance to a manual efiort against pushing the receptacle 2] farther or clear through the hole in wooden platform 23. Of course, a pushing of a receptacle clear through a hole would by itself be impossible if their respective walls are bevelled, or the upper edges of a receptacle are bent sidewise, or any other suitable means is provided thereagainst. Likewise, any other suitable means for the basic purpose of this invention may be used, for example, in place of the rubber-or-neoprene-like pad 16, for instance, a metal spring, and, in place of the metal plate 18, a suitably shaped protuberance welded to or other wise secured to the bottom 14, or forming a part of the stake itself, instead of bolt 19 a common bolt may be used through a hole in a plain flat metal plate like plate 18, etc..

The illustrated embodiment was chosen for its apparent simplicity, ease to manufacture, susceptibility of application to already existent stakes and receptacles, proven efliciency and dependability and insusceptibility of being observed, understood and overcome by an untrained thief and common tools such as a screwdriver or a wrench. Its fully concealed inconspicuousness extends even to the bottom of the engagement as shown in FIG. 5, and its process of operation cannot be learned from the outside visible appearance of the engagement as will become apparent from the below description.

PROCESS OF OPERATION To insert the end section 17 of stake 10 into receptacle 21 for having it automatically fastened therein, the stake 10 should be held slightly tilted in relation to receptacle 21 to allow a lower portion of the front edge of the thickness of the protuberance 18A to assume contacting position against the upper inner edge of the side-wall 21A, then, maintaining said engagement of said edges, the stake 10 should be straightened in relation to the receptacle 21 and simultaneously forcibly pushed into the latter (FIG. 3) to overcome the resiliency of the protuberance 16A and force the latter to bend upwardly and compress itself into and against the recess 15. The inserting of the end section 17 should continue until stopped by the outwardly sidewise protruding edge 17A of the stake 10 colliding against the upper edge of the receptacle 21 side-wall 218. When such collision occurs the end section 17 will become fully inserted into the receptacle 21, the outwardly resilient protrusion 16A of the rubber-like pad 16 still remaining Within the receptacle 21 substantially compressed in the recess 15 by the adjacent receptacle-inner-wall and thus still exercising sidewise pressure against the plate 18 which by then assumes position slightly below the receptacle 21 and, being so pressed by the compressed resiliency of the protrusion 16A, will have its protrusion 18A snap sidewise under and against the exposed edge 22 of the receptacle 21 thereby automatically fastening the end section 17 of stake 10 in the receptacle 21 (FIG. 4).

To remove the so fastened stake 10 from the receptacle 21 two, ordinarily separate, different and unrelated to each other, manual efforts have to be applied substantially simultaneously as follows:

with a prior knowledge of a force required to farther compress the already substantially compressed protrusion 16A between the receptacle 21 inner wall and the recess 15, and for better leverage thereagainst a firm manual grip should be applied over an upper exposed section of the stake 10 (FIG. 9). While in such a grip the stake 10 should be forcibly pushed sidewise in the same direction as is the direction of the protrusion 18A of the plate 18 to force said protrusion 18A in the opposite direction away from its fastening entanglement with and against the exshould be substantially simultaneously pulled upwardly to cause the protrusion 18A to enter the receptacle 21, as,

otherwise, said protrusion 18A will again immediately and automatically snap back to its prior fastening involvement against said edge 22.

Since most of the truck stakes are stolen by young kids and juveniles it is recommended that the resilient means in this invention such, for instance, as the pad 16, be of a resilient strength susceptible of being compressed by a healthy adult only and using the full leverage advantage allowed by the exposed length of the stake.

The illustrated embodiment of this invention indicates that a pressure of a truck load against the fastened stake would add to the difficulty of unfastening and removing the stake. Some users, who have to remove some of the stakes before unloading and while the load is pressing against said stakes, may resent such additional handicap in unfastening the stakes. In such cases an embodiment of this invention obviously may be provided where the pertinent elements are arranged for allowing the unfastening-of-the-stake pressure be parallel to the truck load instead of thereagainst, which, of course, in no way would jeopardize the basic objects of this invention.

FIG. of the drawings illustrates the heretofore taught and disclosed second embodiment of this invention, specifically the notch 12A in the side wall of the end section 17B of stake 10C; a compressible first means 16C for resiliently pushing said end section 1713 when compressed thereby and secured with inner side wall of receptacle 21C and is sidewise resilient inwardly; and the second means 24F for gripping against the notch 12A when brought there opposite and secured to the inner side wall of receptacle 21C opposite the first means 16C. It further shows stake receptacle 21C secured in truck-platforrn 23A with cooperating prongs 24D and 245 substantially as receptacle 21 in platform 23 in FIG. 9, and shows lower end section 17B of stake 10C inserted into receptacle 21C as far as stop member 17C (similar to 17A in FIG. 1) permits, and shows the first means 16C resiliently compressed by stakeend-section 17B, and the second means 24F engaged with notch 12A.

FIG. 11 of the drawings illustrates the heretofore taught and disclosed third embodiment of the invention, specifically notch 128 in the sidewall of end section 17E of stake 10D; clutching means 246 for engaging notch 12B is here secured to the inner wall of receptacle 21D; and the compressible resilient means 16D for pushing stake-end-section 17E when compressed thereby is here similar to pad 16 in FIGS. 3,4 and 7, and is secured to the bottom of stake-end-section 17E as in the first embodiment by, for instance, the shown suited bolt 19B, plate 18C and nut B, and serves the same purpose and in the same manner as pad 16 in FIGS. 1,3,4,6,7 and 9. It further shows stake-end-section 17E inserted into receptacle 21D as far as stop member 17D (similar to 17A in FIG. 1) permits, and shows the compressible means 16D compressed by stake-end-section 17E, and the clutching means 24G engaged with notch 12B.

FIG. 12 of the drawings illustrates the heretofore taught and described fourth embodiment of this invention, specifically the inwardly exposed edge 22A of receptacle 21E and the gripping means Le. the protruding part 18E of plate 18D secured to the bottom wall of stake-end-section 17G via bolt 19C and nut 20C, substantially as plate 18 in FIG. 4 and serving here the same purpose and in the same manner for engaging against said edge 22A when brought therebelow and pushed thercagainst; and the compressible resilient means 16E for pushing stake-end-section 17G when thereby compressed is secured here with inner side wall of receptacle 21E opposite the wall which has the exposed edge 22A and is sidewise resilient inwardly; it also shows the end-section 17G of stake 10E inserted into receptacle 21E as far as stop member 17F (similar to 17A FIG. 1) permits, end shows the compressible means 16E compressed by said end-section 17G, and the gripping means 18E engaged against edge 22A.

From the above showing and description it should be apparent that the release of the respective stakes engaged as shown and described in the respective receptacles in FIGS.

10,] l and 12 may be accomplished in the same manner as has been described in reference to FIGS. 1-9, and as indicated by the arrows similar to arrows indicating likewise method of release in FIG. 9.

The invention claimed here is:

1. For a combination of a stake with an elongated exposed section and, as a pertinent member, a relatively shorter end section, and, as another pertinent member, a receptacle for said end section,

an automatic fastener for the stake-end-section in the receptacle which fastener requires a substantially instantaneous double action in two different directions for removing the automatically fastened stake from the receptacle and comprises a sidewise exposed edge in one of said two pertinent members, a sidewise protruding clutching means secured with the other of said two pertinent members for engaging against said edge when therebelow and is pushed sidewise thereagainst, an outwardly resilient normally sidewise protruding compressible means secured with one of said two pertinent members for being resiliently compressed when within the receptacle for pushing said clutching means sidewise for automatic engagement against said edge when said end section is within said receptacle and the clutching means is below said edge while the compressible means remains substantially compressed;

the stake being removable from the receptacle by pushing the exposed section of the stake in the direction of the location of the clutching means with a force sufficient to compress further the compressible means to the extent where the clutching means becomes released, and, thereupon, pulling the stake from the receptacle without reducing the extent of the push which releases the clutching means.

2. For a combination of a truck-stake end section and a stake-receptacle with interior side walls having an inwardly exposed edge,

a fastener securable with the end section of the stake and comprising a sidewise outwardly resilient compressible first member for engaging an interior side wall and thereunder a contra-sidewise outwardly protruding clutching second member for engaging against the inwardly exposed edge when brought therebelow by inserting the stake-end-section into the receptacle when the first member is resiliently compressed against the opposite interior wall of the receptacle.

3. For a combination of a truck-stake with an elongated exposed section, and a relatively shorter end section with a bottom having a sidewise exposed recess of a predetermined depth extended upwardly to the end section, and a suitably shaped and sized stake receptacle with side walls, and a lower edge from its sidewall exposed inwardly, and a means for restricting the extent of the stake insertion into the receptacle for keeping the exposed edge of the receptacle below and at a predetermined distance from the stake bottom when the stake-end-section is substantially fully inserted into the receptacle,

comprising an automatic fastener for the stake-end-section in the receptacle including a nonnally substantially flat pad of a thickness slightly exceeding the predetermined recess depth in the bottom section of the stake and the predetermined distance from the stake bottom to the receptacle exposed edge, and of a resilient and compressible material, and secured flat against the stake bottom with a portion thereof protruding sidewise from the exposed recess and beyond the stake-end-section and compressible into said recess and] resilient against the adjacent receptacle-inner-side-walll when the end section is inserted into the receptacle, and is adapted for exercising a continuous sidewise pressure against the end section towards an opposite receptacle--inner-wall with the exposed edge when the end section is in the receptacle; a substantially flat rigid plate secured to the stake bottom under and substantially flat against said pad, and having a portion thereof protruding sidewise slightly beyond the side of the end section which is opposite to the side having the recess, for fastening itself automatically against the exposed edge when brought immediately therebelow by the thickness of the pad when the end section is substantially fully inserted into the receptacle, and while being pressed sidewise thereagainst by the resiliency of the compressed portion of the pad.

4. The invention according to claim 3 and a means for fastening the rigid plate to the bottom of the stake under the flat pad and comprising a bolt member upwardly protruding from the upper face side of the plate, a hole through the pad for said bolt member passage therethrough, a receptacle in the bottom section of the stake for the loose end section of said bolt member for fastening the latter to the bottom section of the stake via said bolt member-receptacle.

5. For a combination of a truck-stake and a stake receptacle, an automatic fastener for the stake in the receptacle and comprising a notch with outwardly exposed edge in the side wall of the stake-end-section, a compressible and resilient member secured to the inner wall of the receptacle, a clutching member secured to and protruding inwardly from the opposite inner wall of the receptacle substantially opposite the compressible member and adapted to engage in the notch against its exposed edge when the notch is brought thereagainst and the compressible and resilient member is compressed by the stake-end-section to exercise pressure thereagainst towards the clutching member when the end-section of the stake is inserted into the receptacle.

6. For a combination of a truck-stake and stake-receptacle, an automatic fastener for the stake in the receptacle and comprising a notch with outwardly exposed edge in the side wall of the stake-end-section, a clutching member secured to and protruding inwardly from the inner wall of the receptacle and adapted to engage the notch and against its exposed edge when the notch is brought and pressed thereagainst, a compressible and resilient member secured to the stake-end-section and protruding from its side which is opposite to the side having the notch, said compressible and resilient member adapted to press the notch towards and against the clutching member when the end section of the stake is inserted into the receptacle and the resilient member is thereby compressed against the inner wall of the receptacle which wall is opposite to its wall having the clutching member.

7. For a combination of a truck-stake and a stake receptacle, an automatic fastener for the stake in the receptacle and comprising an inwardly exposed edge in the receptacle, a clutching member secured to and protruding sidewise from the end-section of the stake and adapted to engage against the exposed edge when brought therebelow and pressed sidewise thereagainst, a compressible and resilient member secured to the inner wall of the receptacle substantially opposite to its exposed edge and adapted to press sidewise the clutching member against the exposed edge when the end-section of the stake is inserted into the receptacle and the compressible and resilient member is thereby compressed.

1 ,Mssif

Claims

1. For a combination of a stake with an elongated exposed section and, as a pertinent member, a relatively shorter end section, and, as another pertinent member, a receptacle for said end section, an automatic fastener for the stake-end-section in the receptacle which fastener requires a substantially instantaneous double action in two different directions for removing the automatically fastened stake from the receptacle and comprises a sidewise exposed edge in one of said two pertinent members, a sidewise protruding clutching means secured with the other of said two pertinent members for engaging against said edge when therebelow and is pushed sidewise thereagainst, an outwardly resilient normally sidewise protruding compressible means secured with one of said two pertinent members for being resiliently compressed when within the receptacle for pushing said clutching means sidewise for automatic engagement against said edge when said end section is within said receptacle and the clutching means is below said edge while the compressible means remains substantially compressed; the stake being removable from the receptacle by pushing the exposed section of the stake in the direction of the location of the clutching means with a force sufficient to compress further the compressible means to the extent where the clutching means becomes released, and, thereupon, pulling the stake from the receptacle without reducing the eXtent of the push which releases the clutching means.

2. For a combination of a truck-stake end section and a stake-receptacle with interior side walls having an inwardly exposed edge, a fastener securable with the end section of the stake and comprising a sidewise outwardly resilient compressible first member for engaging an interior side wall and thereunder a contra-sidewise outwardly protruding clutching second member for engaging against the inwardly exposed edge when brought therebelow by inserting the stake-end-section into the receptacle when the first member is resiliently compressed against the opposite interior wall of the receptacle.

3. For a combination of a truck-stake with an elongated exposed section, and a relatively shorter end section with a bottom having a sidewise exposed recess of a predetermined depth extended upwardly to the end section, and a suitably shaped and sized stake receptacle with side walls, and a lower edge from its sidewall exposed inwardly, and a means for restricting the extent of the stake insertion into the receptacle for keeping the exposed edge of the receptacle below and at a predetermined distance from the stake bottom when the stake-end-section is substantially fully inserted into the receptacle, comprising an automatic fastener for the stake-end-section in the receptacle including a normally substantially flat pad of a thickness slightly exceeding the predetermined recess depth in the bottom section of the stake and the predetermined distance from the stake bottom to the receptacle exposed edge, and of a resilient and compressible material, and secured flat against the stake bottom with a portion thereof protruding sidewise from the exposed recess and beyond the stake-end-section and compressible into said recess and resilient against the adjacent receptacle--inner-side-wall when the end section is inserted into the receptacle, and is adapted for exercising a continuous sidewise pressure against the end section towards an opposite receptacle--inner-wall with the exposed edge when the end section is in the receptacle; a substantially flat rigid plate secured to the stake bottom under and substantially flat against said pad, and having a portion thereof protruding sidewise slightly beyond the side of the end section which is opposite to the side having the recess, for fastening itself automatically against the exposed edge when brought immediately therebelow by the thickness of the pad when the end section is substantially fully inserted into the receptacle, and while being pressed sidewise thereagainst by the resiliency of the compressed portion of the pad.